Apparatus and method for vending products having various dimensions

ABSTRACT

Abstract An improved method and apparatus for vending products, and particularly beverage containers, of varied sizes, shapes and configurations are disclosed. The products to be vended are aligned in selectable ordered queues within a vending machine that can include a transparent front panel. A container release assembly is positioned at the end of the vend queue to vend a container upon activation. The container release assembly acts on the first-in-line container to be vended and on the second-in-line container, by retaining the second-in-line container while the first is being released. The container release assembly acts on the containers from two opposite sides of the containers.

This aplplication is continuation of U.S. application having Ser. No.10/613,165, filed Jul. 3, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. ______, which claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to provisional application Ser. No.60/394,223, filed on Jul. 5, 2002, and entitled “Apparatus and Methodfor Vending Products Having Various Dimensions”. The completedisclosures of these applications are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to vending machines, and moreparticularly, to a method and apparatus for vending various sizedproducts such as bottled or canned beverages of varied sizes and shapes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention applies to the vending of products in general and inparticular to the difficulties that arise when attempting to dispensedifferent sized or shaped items. Additionally, this invention applies tothe vending of fragile items that do not fare well when subjected todropping or impact forces encountered during a vend cycle. While theinvention addresses all of these issues, the problems best characterizedby the situation are associated with dispensing bottled beverages ofvarious sizes and configurations and packaged in various types ofmaterials such as glass or plastic. Accordingly, the invention willhereinafter be discussed in the context of its applicability todispensing contained beverages, it being understood that the inventiveprinciples can be expanded to include the dispensing of other productsas well.

Machines for vending canned and/or bottled beverages have long beenknown. Early bottled vending machines enabled release of same-sizedbottled beverages, one at a time, following deposit of the requiredpurchase amount, from chest-like coolers. The purchaser was required,for example, to slide the neck of the beverage bottle along and througha retaining race to a dispensing location from which it could be liftedout of the refrigerated chest after release by the dispensing mechanism.With the advent of canned beverages, dispensing became somewhat simplerand easier to automate due to the standardization of container sizes andtechniques that enabled the cylindrical cans to roll and drop throughchutes during a vend cycle to the delivery area of the machine. Due inpart to the rigidity of the cans and their secure seal mechanisms, andthe fact that their movement can be fairly well controlled during adispensing cycle, the canned beverage vending machine has become thestandard of today's sealed beverage dispensing systems.

For the most part, the sale of specialty beverages such as fruit orfruit flavored juices, milk, teas and the like and/or beverages that aresealed in glass or plastic bottles, has been conducted byover-the-counter sale techniques and not through automated vendingmachines. For many of such specialty beverages, packaging in thestandard disposable can configuration is not a viable option. Forothers, the marketing appeal and distinctiveness of a uniquely shaped orstylized container is of major concern. Non-can packaging has now evenbecome popular for the well-known carbonated beverages, that are readilyavailable in many different sized and shaped containers, both plasticand glass, and in various volumes. There is a desire to vend thesenon-can, specialty beverages via an automated vending machine.

Automated vending has been a problem for most of the non-standard sizedand non-canned beverage containers. To date, an automated vendingmachine that can reliably and safely vend beverage containers ofdifferent materials, sizes and shapes from the same vend queue of amachine, without damaging or dropping the container or product within,has not been available.

The present invention is directed to vending machines and the need for adispensing machine and method for dispensing containers such asbeverages packaged in glass, plastic or can containers of varied sizes,shapes and fluid volumes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides an improved vending machine apparatus and methodfor vending products, particularly bottled and canned beverages, thathave varying product dimensions, particularly varying diameter, from thevend queue. The vending machine apparatus is also suitable for vendingitems such as candy bars, chips, gum, and other snacks. Prepackageditems such as toiletries (toothbrush; toothpaste, etc.) could also bevended. The vending machine apparatus can vend a first product having afirst dimension and a second product having a second dimension, thefirst dimension and the second dimension being different, from the samevend queue.

The vending machine of the present invention is extremely versatile andis particularly applicable to the vending of glass and plastic beverageitems, such as containers, of varied sizes, shapes and fluid volumeswhich can simultaneously be housed and dispensed by a single vend queueof the vending machine; this is accomplished by a container releaseassembly according to the invention. By using the container releaseassembly, the addition of spacers or shims into the vend tray can beeliminated.

Within the vending machine, the product queues can be arranged invertically spaced columns and the items can be arranged on shelves ortrays that can be inclined at angles which permit gravity movement ofthe stored items in the queues toward a dispensing end of the queue.According to a preferred aspect of the invention, a customer selecteditem is dispensed from the selected container queue by allowing thefirst-in-line container to slide from the selected queue while retainingthe second-in-line and successively aligned beverage containers in thatqueue from moving along the queue. The first-in-line container andsecond-in-line container can have different diameters.

The container release assembly, which retains and releases thecontainers as desired, acts upon the containers from two generallyopposite sides of the container as the container is positioned in thequeue. The release assembly includes two release apparatus, one each ofthe two sides of the container. Each release apparatus includes a gate,a front container engaging member and a back container engaging member.A link extends between and operably connects the two release apparatus.In a first position, the release assembly retains the first-in-linecontainer. As the container release assembly is activated to vend thefirst-in-line container, the front engaging member pivots outward andaway from the first-in-line container to release the container,simultaneous to the back engaging member pivoting inward to thesecond-in-line container to restrain the container. Preferably, the backengaging member restrains the second-in-line container prior to therelease of the first-in-line container. This can be accomplished byproviding a fast-acting cam system for the back engaging member.

To activate the container release assembly an external force is appliedto the gate of the release apparatus, causing the gate to rotate througha cranking angle. An example range for the cranking angle is 76.5 to99.5 degrees.

The release apparatus of the container release assembly can be adaptedso that one of the release apparatus is the prime mover or actuator forthe release of the container.

In a preferred embodiment, the vending machine with the inventivecontainer release assembly includes an efficient, cost-effective, highlyaccurate, reliable and easily programmable robotic container captureassembly for capturing that container selected by a customer and forsmoothly, gently, and quickly carrying the captured container to aproduct delivery area or port of the machine. The product delivery portis located at thigh to waist height to minimize customer bending whileretrieving the vended product from the machine. The shelf or tray areaof the machine, including the container release assembly, preferablycontains no active or powered components, but is entirely passive innature, being operated entirely in response to activation forces appliedthereto by the robotic beverage container capture apparatus. The smoothvending process minimizes product damage and stress and virtuallyeliminates machine maintenance caused by damage to or breakage ofbeverage containers during a vend cycle.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method of vendingcontainers from a vending machine. The method includes the steps of: (a)aligning a plurality of items, such as bottled beverages, in an orderedqueue, the plurality including a first-in-line and a second-in-linebottled beverage; (b) providing a container release assembly having afirst front stop, an opposite second front stop, a first back stop and asecond opposite back stop, the first and second front stops positionedagainst the first-in-line bottle; (c) removing the first and secondfront stops from the first-in-line bottled beverage while retaining thesecond-in-line bottled beverage with the first and second back stops;(d) vending the first-in-line bottle; and then (e) transferring thesecond-in-line bottled beverage to be the first-in-line bottledbeverage.

Yet another method of the invention is vending bottled beverages from avending machine includes the steps of: (a) aligning a plurality ofbottled beverages in an ordered queue of the beverages, the pluralityincluding a first-in-line and a second-in-line bottled beverage, thefirst-in-line bottled beverage having a different diameter than thesecond-in-line bottled beverage; and (b) activating a container releaseassembly to vend the first-in-line bottled beverage, the step ofactivating including providing a stop against the second-in-line bottledbeverage, releasing the first-in-line bottled beverage while retainingthe second-in-line bottled beverage, and then transferring thesecond-in-line bottled beverage to be the first-in-line bottledbeverage.

It is not necessary that the items vended from the tray or vend queue bethe same shape, size, or even the same product (for example, the queuecould be arranged to alternately vend beverages and candy bars);however, the cost or charge for the vended items from the same queueshould be the same.

In a preferred embodiment, one use of the vending machine whichincorporates the invention contemplates the use of a robotic assemblyhaving an X-Y support frame, a shuttle moveably mounted to the supportframe for movement therealong in an X-direction; a carriage assemblyoperatively connected to the shuttle for controlled movement therealongin a Y-direction; and a capture mechanism operatively mounted to thecarriage assembly for removing and carrying the selected product fromits associated ordered queue.

The container release assembly of the present invention can be appliedto any vending machine where it is desirable to vend different sizedarticles from the same queue or tray. For example, the vending machinecould passively drop the vended item, or project the vended item, fromthe vend tray. Additionally, although in a preferred vending machine, anelement such as capture mechanism actuates the container releaseassembly, other activation or activating means could be used, such as amotor, gears, switches, or other mechanical or electrical components.

These and other aspects of the invention will become more apparent upona description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. It will beappreciated that the preferred embodiment is not to be construed aslimiting the invention to any particular configurations, designs, orapplications that are specifically presented therein. The preferredembodiment is presented to illustrate a specific application andimplementation of the broader principles of the invention and is not tobe construed in a limiting manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Referring to the Drawing where like numerals represent like partsthroughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of avending machine, such as a beverage container vending machine,incorporating the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of a tray assembly of thevending machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fractional perspective view of a portion of arobotic container capture assembly of the vending machine of FIGS. 1 and2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a first embodiment of a container releaseassembly according to the present invention and of the vending machineof FIG. 1, the container release assembly illustrated in a firstposition retaining a first beverage bottle and with a second beveragebottle in a vend queue;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the container release assembly of FIG. 4 in theposition of FIG. 4, the container release assembly in a first, “home”position;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the container release assembly of FIG. 5,illustrating the container release assembly in a second positionpartially retaining the first beverage bottle;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the container release assembly of FIG. 5,illustrating the container release assembly in a third position lesspartially retaining the first beverage bottle than in the secondposition;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the container release assembly of FIG. 5,illustrating the container release assembly in a fourth position lesspartially retaining the first beverage bottle than in the thirdposition;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the container release assembly of FIG. 5,illustrating the container release assembly in a fifth position lesspartially retaining the first beverage bottle than in the fourthposition, and retaining the second beverage bottle;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the container release assembly of FIG. 5,illustrating the container release assembly in a sixth positionreleasing the first beverage bottle;

FIG. 11 is a top view of the container release assembly of FIG. 5,illustrating the container release assembly in a seventh position havingreleased the first beverage bottle;

FIG. 12 is a detailed top view of the container release assembly of FIG.4, illustrated in the position of FIG. 8 retaining both the firstbeverage bottle and the second beverage bottle;

FIG. 13 is a detailed top view of the container release assembly of FIG.4, generally in the position of FIG. 9, with the first containerreleased and retaining the second bottle;

FIG. 14 is a detailed top view of the container release assembly asshown in FIG. 11 , but with no bottle remaining in the vend queue;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged, perspective view of a portion of the containerrelease assembly of FIG. 4;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a containerrelease assembly according to the present invention, the containerrelease assembly illustrated with a vend queue having two differenttypes of beverage bottles;

FIG. 17 is a bottom view of the container release assembly of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the container release assembly of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a top view of the container release assembly of FIG. 16,illustrating the container release assembly in a first positionretaining a first beverage bottle and with a second beverage bottle inthe vend queue;

FIG. 20 is a top view of the container release assembly of FIG. 16,illustrating the container release assembly in a second positionpartially retaining the first beverage bottle and retaining the secondbeverage bottle; and

FIG. 21 is a top view of the container release assembly of FIG. 16,illustrating the container release assembly in a third position havingreleased the first beverage bottle and retaining the second beveragebottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the figures there is generally illustrated therein apreferred embodiment of a vending machine that incorporates theprinciples of this invention. Also illustrated is a first embodiment anda second embodiment of a container release assembly for use with thevending machine. While the preferred embodiments of the invention willbe described in association with their applicability to a vendingmachine for bottled and canned beverages, it will be understood that thebroad principles of the invention are not limited to such productdispensing applications or to the specifics of the preferred embodimentsdisclosed. The described machine and container release assembliesrepresent clear examples of a dispensing system incorporating theprinciples of the claimed invention, but the invention is not intendedto be construed in a limiting manner as a result of the preferredembodiments disclosed.

Referring to the figures, specifically FIG. 1, there is generallyillustrated at 20 a vending machine for dispensing bottled and cannedbeverages of varied shapes, sizes, configurations and fluid volumes. Thevending machine generally comprises an outer chassis or cabinet 22 and afront hinged door panel 24, which in combination, define an inner cavityfor housing the products to be vended, the control and refrigerationfunctions of the machine and other vending machine features well-knownin the art. The vending machine could have multiple door panels. Frontdoor panel 24 frames a transparent glass or clear plastic panel 26,which provides a clear view into the internal cavity of the cabinet andthe products stored in ordered manner on trays therein, when door panel24 is closed. Door panel 24 includes an appropriate control panel,generally indicated at 28, which includes a product selection input andmonetary and credit processing system, well-known in the art. Since thecontrol panel and its various features and functions do not form a partof this invention, they will not be detailed herein. Those skilled inthe art will readily recognize many appropriate such control panels andfeatures thereof that could be used in association with a vendingmachine as hereinafter described. Door panel 24 also includes a coinreturn slot, generally indicated at 29 and a locking handle assembly 30that enables the door to be opened and closed in secured manner forpurposes of maintenance, loading of the machine, and the like. Doorpanel 24 also includes a product delivery port, generally indicated at32, which is approximately at thigh or waist level and depicted with itsdoor in an “open” position in FIG. 1, with a vended bottle product 40illustrated through the open door. A more complete description ofvarious features of vending machine 20 will be hereinafter described andalso described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,230,930, 6,328,180, and 6,513,677 allof which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

In the preferred embodiment, the assembly of cabinet 22 and door panel24 is supported by a plurality of legs 34 in elevated manner above afloor or support surface to enable ease of cleaning below machine 20,the ability to readily lift machine 20 by a pallet jack, fork lift orother moving type of structure, and to provide improved ventilation fora refrigeration system (not illustrated, but well-known to those skilledin the art) for vending machine 20. Additional features of cabinet 22and vending machine 20 are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,230,930,6,328,180, and 6,513,677.

The beverage containers housed in the internal cavity of vending machine20 are supported by a plurality of beverage trays, two of which aregenerally indicated at 42 in FIG. 2. While the preferred embodiment uses“trays”, it will be appreciated that the principles of the inventioncould also be applied to conventional beverage holding shelfconfigurations having partitions for separating the containers intoordered rows or aligned queues of beverages extending from front to backin the internal cavity.

In the preferred embodiment, beverage trays 42 are mounted to aplurality of vertically oriented tray mounting standards. The traymounting standard has a pair of vertically oriented and laterally spaced(from front to back) rib members 45 a and 45 b respectively. The ribsupport members 45 a and 45 b are integrally formed with upper and lowersupport brace portions 46 and 47, respectively, that extend in generallyhorizontal manner in the direction from front to back of machine 20.Other support braces and members can be used to support trays 42,however these form no part of the invention herein. Since supportmembers 45 a, 45 b and support brace portions 46, 47 and their variousfeatures and functions do not form a part of this invention, they willnot be detailed herein. Those skilled in the art will readily recognizemany appropriate such support features thereof that could be used inassociation with a vending machine as hereinafter described.

Preferably, tray 42 will be inclined at a downwardly depending anglefrom back to front of vending machine 20 to enable beverage containerscarried thereby to slide by gravity toward the open front (i.e.,dispensing) end of the tray. In the preferred embodiment, the preferredangle of inclination of the tray with the horizontal is from about 8-20degrees and most preferably about 12 degrees. The degree of inclinationis a design parameter that can be varied, depending upon the type, size,weight, configuration, etc. of the container being held, the relativecoefficient of friction between the container and the tray floorsurface, the type of materials used to construct the tray, thetemperature of the internal cavity, etc. It will also be appreciatedthat the principles of this invention do not require movement of theproducts toward the dispensing end of their respective trays or shelvesto be accomplished entirely by gravity. Other biasing assist techniqueswell known in the art could also be employed.

In the preferred embodiment, each of trays 42 is shaped in theconfiguration of a U-shaped channel, generally having a lower surface orfloor support surface 42 a and a pair of oppositely disposed side walls42 b upwardly extending from floor 42 a at right angles with respectthereto; see FIGS. 2 and 3. In the preferred embodiment, the sidewallsare spaced so as to accommodate beverage containers of up to 3 inches indiameter; however, it will be recognized that the invention is notlimited by such dimension or to other non-claimed dimensions describedherein. Floor 42 a is designed to minimize sliding friction therealong.

In the preferred embodiment, each of trays 42 is designed to hold acollective beverage container weight of up to about 15-25 pounds,usually about 16-20 pounds. It will be appreciated that other tray orproduct support configurations such as, for example, wire grid trays,could be used.

Beverage containers carried by the plurality of open-faced trays 42 areremoved from the trays and transported to product delivery port 32(FIG. 1) by a robotic container capture and transport assembly,generally indicated at 60 in FIG. 2. The robotic assembly 60 operateswithin vend selection space 61 which is generally that space or volumebetween the inner surface of the door 24 and the front surfaces of thefront frame members that hold trays 42. Assembly 60, in general includesa carrier frame 90, a gear rack 91, various capture assembly 92.

The robotic system will be described with reference to an X, Y, Zcoordinate system in the machine, the X-direction being horizontal andparallel to the floor, the Y-direction being the vertical direction andperpendicular to the X-direction and the Z-direction being orthogonal tothe XY plane and, relative to the vending machine, is in the directionfrom the front to back of the machine. The robotic container capture andtransport assembly 60 generally includes a pair of horizontally mountedrail/rack assemblies, a vertically oriented shuttle bar that rides alongthe horizontal rails in the X-direction, a carrier frame that moves inthe Y-(vertical) direction along the shuttle bar, and a pick-up ortransfer mechanism that is mounted to and moves with the carrier frameand operates in the Z-direction to remove a beverage container from aselected tray.

Movement of the transport assembly 60 is controlled by an X-drive motorthat is mounted in vertical manner. The motor can be a reversible dcbrush gear motor with a dynamic brake that enables the motor drive gearto stop immediately when the power to the motor is discontinued,enabling accurate positioning of the transport assembly in theX-direction. A suitable motor is a 24 volt dc motor manufactured byBarber Colman, model LYME 63000-731 rated at 5.3 inch-pounds of torqueat 151 rpm, whose output shaft is connected to a drive gear. The X-drivemotor controls movement of transport assembly 60 and attached componentsin the X-direction.

A Y-drive motor is horizontally mounted to the carrier frame 90 near itsupper end, in a manner such that its drive gear cooperatively, matinglyengages the vertical gear rack 91. Y-drive motor 96 is a reversible dcbrush gear motor that is driven by a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal.In the preferred embodiment, motor 96 is a 24 volt dc motor manufacturedby Barber Colman, model LYME 63070-X-9332.

The carrier frame assembly 90 supports a container capture assembly 92that can assume various configurations. For example, the containercapture assembly may be configured as a robotic arm that grasps andlifts the selected beverage container into the carriage frame assembly.However, in the preferred embodiment, the container capture assemblycomprises a simple pivotal assembly that rotates generally in the Z-axisdirection to release and capture a beverage container from a customerselected tray 42. Referring to FIG. 3, the container capture assembly 92is pivotally mounted to the carrier frame assembly 90. As indicated inFIG. 3, the container capture assembly 92 cooperatively fits and movesinto nesting position within the outer shell of the carrier frameassembly 90. A Z-drive reversible dc brush gear motor with a dynamicbrake is mounted to the bottom of the container capture assembly 92. Inthe preferred embodiment the motor is a 24 volt dc motor manufactured byBarber Colman, model JYHE-63200-741 rated at 3.5 inch pounds of torqueat 46.6 rpm. Both the carrier frame assembly 90 and the containercapture assembly 92 have open back surfaces. The container captureassembly 92 further includes a pair of tapered beverage container guidemembers 97 connected to its opposed side walls and tapered in a mannerso as to converge toward the front face of the container captureassembly 92 for assisting in centering and supporting the outer surfaceof a beverage container carried by the container capture assembly 92, aswill be appreciated more upon further description of the invention.

The previous description of the beverage trays 42 describes a simple,unembellished U-shaped open end beverage delivery tray configuration. Inthe preferred embodiment, the delivery end portion of the tray has beenmodified to achieve the vending purposes of this invention. Referring toFIG. 2, it will be noted that those portions of the tray side walls 42 blocated adjacent the open dispensing end of the trays have been raisedor increased in height by extension portions, generally indicated at 42b′. Extension portions 42 b′ are shown as generally triangular, but maybe of any configuration or dimension. The added height provides forextra stability of the beverage container at the tray's outlet end, tominimize sideways or lateral tipping of the beverage container duringthe dispensing operation. Extension portions 42 b′ may be permanentlyattached or may be removable and replaceable as needed.

Additional features of the various elements such as carrier frameassembly 90, container capture assembly 92, the various drive motors,are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,230,930, 6,328,180, and 6,513,677,which are incorporated by reference.

The beverage containers carried by tray 42 are held within the tray andare either prevented or allowed to exit from the open end of the tray bya container release apparatus. In the preferred embodiment, thecontainer release apparatus is entirely “passive” in nature (i.e. doesnot require any electrical or other energy powered mechanism residing onthe trays, for its operation). A first embodiment of the containerrelease assembly of the present invention is described with reference toFIGS. 4 through 15 and a second embodiment with reference to FIGS. 16through 21.

Referring thereto, particularly to FIG. 4, a first container releaseassembly of the present invention is generally illustrated at 100.Container release assembly 100 includes a first container releaseapparatus 101 and a second container release apparatus 102. When viewedfrom the point of view of the vending machine customer, first containerrelease apparatus 101 is on the left side of the vend queue and secondcontainer release apparatus 102 is on the right side of the vend queue.Apparatus 101 and apparatus 102 are positioned so that the two are onopposite sides of the beverage container to be vended. Thus, assembly100 acts upon the beverage container from two, generally opposite sides.

Each of apparatus 101, 102 includes a gate 105, 106, a front containerstop or engaging member 115, 116, and a back container stop or engagingmember 125, 126. Connected to each gate 105, 106 is a spring 131, 132;springs 131, 132 meet and are anchored at junction 133. Springs 131, 132are generally positioned below tray floor 42 a; in some embodiments,springs 131, 132 extend from gates 105, 106 to a portion of floor 42 a.Gate 106 includes a foremost portion 110, which will be described below.A link 135, positioned below floor 42 a, extends between and operablyconnects the two release apparatus 101, 102; specifically, link 135connects gate 105 to gate 106 and provides symmetrical but rotationallyopposite movement between gate 105 and gate 106.

Each gate 105, 106 is pivotally connected to a sidewall 42 b of a tray(as viewed from the open front delivery end of a tray) by a center hingepin 111, 112, respectively. Gates 105, 106 include open slots 107, 108,respectively, formed therethroug (see FIG. 15). Slots 107, 108 are“open” slots in that the lower edge of the slot is open; it isunderstood that a closed slot would also be suitable. A portion of frontengaging member 115, 116 extends through slot 107, 108 and is pivotallyconnected to sidewall 42 b by a hinge pin 117, 118. Back engaging member125, 126 is also pivotally connected to sidewall 42 b, such as by ahinge pin 127, 128. Back engaging member 125, 126 includes a slot 125 a,126 a therein through which passes a pin 121, 122 that is part of gate105, 106.

In the “home” position, gates 105, 106 are configured with thefront-most portion, that is, the portion forward of hinge 111, 112 wherefront engaging member 115, 116 is present, positioned closer to thecenter of tray 42 than hinge 111, 112. The back-most portion of gate105, 106, that is, the portion back of hinge 111, 112 where backengaging member 125, 126 is present, is positioned farther from thecenter of tray 42 than hinge 111, 112. As container release assembly 100is activated, gates 105, 106 pivot about hinges 111, 112, causing thefront-most portion of gates 105, 106 to move outward toward sidewall 42b and the back-most portion of gates 105, 106 to move inward toward thecenter of tray 42. Springs 131, 132 urge gate 105, 106 to return to thehome position.

The foremost portion of gate 105, 106 is bent at an angle to the generalplane of gate 105, 106 to form a pair of forward cam surfaces. Theseangled cam surfaces provide an area for engagement with front engagingmember 115, 116. Gate 106 also includes foremost portion 110 whichprovides a “target” area for engagement by movement of an activatingmeans, such as the container capture assembly 92, as hereinafterdescribed. The lowermost portion of the cam surfaces extends slightlybelow floor 42 a of tray 42. In a preferred embodiment, these camsurfaces of gates 105, 106 that extend below the floor 42 a of the trayinclude features, such as ribs, that can improve the structuralintegrity of gates 105, 106.

As stated, gates 105, 106 are pivotal about hinges 111, 112; the frontportion of gate 105, 106 pivots toward the center or open portion oftray 42 with which it is associated (i.e., away from the sidewall 42 b).Gate 105, 106 retainably holds front engaging member 115, 116, which isoriented generally vertically and generally perpendicular to floor 42 aand generally parallel to sidewalls 42 b of tray 42. The height ofengaging member 115, 116 can vary to accommodate different heights ofbeverage or other containers. The purpose of container engaging member115, 116, as will become clear upon a more detailed description, is toengage a container in tray 42 and prevent its sliding movement alongtray 42 in the direction toward its dispensing end.

That portion of gate 105, 106 located forward of hinge pin 111, 112 alsoincludes slot passageway 107, 108 (see FIG. 15) formed therethrough forslidably accommodating front engaging member 115, 116 that is pivotallymounted in relation to sidewall 42 b for movement about hinge 117, 118.Back engaging member 125, 126 includes a vertical slot or receptacle 125a, 126 a therein that forms cammed guides or races which pivotallyretains pin 121, 122; pin 121, 122 is fixed to gate 105, 106. Similar tofront engaging member 115, 116, back engaging member 125, 126 blocksmovement of a beverage container (the second-in-line container) alongfloor 42 a of tray 42. Back engaging member 125, 126 can be any suitableheight.

The connection of back engaging member 125, 126 with gate 105, 106 issuch that a fast-acting cam is provided; the “fast-acting” being fasterthan that at front engaging member 115, 116. Such fast action allowsback engaging member 125, 126 to restrain the second-in-line containerprior to the release of the first-in-line container by front engagingmember 115, 116. Slot 125 a, 126 a in engaging member 125, 126 isstrategically positioned and shaped relative to hinge pin 127, 128 suchthat when gate 105, 106 is pivoted about hinge 111, 112, back engagingmember 125, 126 pivots toward the center of tray 42 faster and fartherthan front engaging member 115, 116 pivots out toward sidewall 42 b.Such fast-action camming can be accomplished by shaping slot 125 a, 126a as a bifurcated, yet continuous, slot. One example of a suitable slot125 a, 126 a is a kidney shaped slot. Other examples of suitable slotsinclude non-linear, angled slots or radiused slots.

The movements of gate 105, 106 and engaging members 115, 116, 125, 126follow a prescribed function. The movement of first release apparatus101 (which includes gate 105, front engaging member 115 and backengaging member 125) is generally symmetrical but rotationally oppositeto the movement of second release apparatus 102 (which includes gate106, front engaging member 116 and back engaging member 126). Themovement or motion of gates 105, 106 can generally be described in termsof a cranking angle. Suitable cranking angles include 76.5 to 99.5degrees.

The movement of container release assembly 100 will now be describedreferring to FIGS. 4 through 11, which illustrate a top view of assembly100 as it progress though various positions; FIGS. 12 through 15illustrate assembly 100 in a perspective fashion. It is understood thatthe embodiment described is merely illustrative and variations indegrees, dimensions, and the like are contemplated. The dimensionsprovided below are tailored for a typical 20 fluid ounce beveragecontainer that has a diameter of about 3 inches. It is understood thatwhen larger or smaller containers are vended, the spacing of gates 105,106 may be modified. Additionally or alternately the entire assembly 100could be scaled.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, container release assembly 100 is in a first, “home”position, with gate 105, 106 forming an angle of 76.5 degrees withrespect to a line perpendicular to tray 42 and the vend queue. Frontengaging members 115, 116 are slightly offset from perpendicular to gate105, 106. At this angle of 76.5 degrees, front engaging members 115, 116have a distance of 2.020 inches therebetween, which is sufficient toretain container 40 on tray 42. Back engaging members 125, 126 have adistance of 3.135 inches therebetween.

As foremost portion 110 is activated and urged to the right (shown inFIG. 5), the front-most portion of gate 106 pivots counterclockwise.Being connected via link 135, the front-most portion of gate 105 pivotsclockwise. During these first several degrees of rotation, e.g., 76.5degrees to about 81.0 or 82.0 degrees, the distance between thefront-most portion of gate 105 and the front-most portion of gate 106increases, and front engaging member 115, 116 slides farther fromperpendicular with gate 105, 106. (See FIG. 6). A feature such as a freespace or a slot in can be present in engaging member 115, 116 to preventpremature advance of back engaging members 125, 126.

For the next interval of rotation of gate 105, 106, that is, throughdegrees of about 81.0 or 82.0 to about 88.0, front engaging members 115,116 collapse, allowing the first-in-line beverage container to moveforward. See FIG. 7. The bottle path width is maximized by gates 105,106, which are essentially parallel to sidewall 42 b. At 88.0 degrees ofrotation, as seen in FIG. 7, front engaging members 115, 116 have adistance of 2.111 inches therebetween, which is still sufficient toretain the bottle. Back engaging members 125, 126 have a distance of2.396 inches therebetween.

As rotation continues, from about 88.0 to about 96.0 degrees (FIGS. 8through 10), gates 105, 106 continue to rotate counter clockwise andclockwise, respectively, to increase the distance between the front-mostportions. The vend queue continues to move forward. Back engaging member125, 126, however, is held stationary to a curved path, placing it indwell mode. An angle of about 95.25 degrees between gates 105, 106 and aline perpendicular to tray 42, as seen in FIG. 9, provides a distance of2.598 inches between front engaging members 115, 116 and a distance of2.120 inches between back engaging members 125, 126.

Further motion of gates 105, 106, to about 96.0 to 99.5 degrees, allowsaccommodation of beverage containers with larger diameters (e.g., 3inches and more). In FIG. 11, where an angle of 99.5 degrees isillustrated, front engaging members 115, 116 have a distance of 3.205inches therebetween and back engaging members 125, 126 have a distanceof 2.159 inches therebetween.

The above-described motion of assembly 100 is actuated when an externalactivating force, in a Z-direction toward the open face of tray 42towards its back, is applied to foremost portion 110 of gate 106. Arobotic container capture device, as described above and in U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,230,930, 6,328,180 and 6,513,677, can provide the actuationforce. Such an actuation force causes gate 105, 106 to pivot (gate 105in a clockwise direction as viewed from above and gate 106 in acounterclockwise direction) about hinge pin 111, 112 against the bias ofsprings 131, 132. Such pivotal action causes the back engaging member125, 126 to rotate in counterclockwise and clockwise direction,respectively, about hinge 127, 128, thus moving the back engaging member125, 126 into the advancing path of a second-in-line advancing beveragecontainer. As gate 105, 106 rotates about hinge pin 111, 112, theforward portion of gate 105, 106 will “slide” outward as viewed from thefront or top of assembly 100, until gate 105, 106 is in restingengagement against sidewall 42 b. As such sliding motion occurs, slot107, 108, will no longer retard pivotal movement of front engagingmember 115, 116, and engaging member 115, 116 will pivot, as a result offorces applied to it by the first-in-line beverage container pushedagainst engaging member 115, 116, in a clockwise and counterclockwisedirection, respectively, as viewed from above, about hinge 117, 118,until engaging member 115, 116 rests generally parallel to and alongsidegate 105, 106. At that position, the first-in-line beverage containercan freely slide by gravity out of the open end of tray 42. At the sametime, the back engaging member 125, 126 prevents sliding motion of thesecond-in-line container, and all containers behind it, down tray 42.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 16 through 19, a similar, secondcontainer release assembly of the present invention is generallyillustrated at 100′. Where appropriate, features of assembly 100′similar to those features of assembly 100, described above, aredesignated with the same reference number with a prime notation (i.e.,″′″).

Container release assembly 100′ includes a first container releaseapparatus 101′ and a second container release apparatus 102′. Whenviewed from the point of view of the vending machine customer, firstcontainer release apparatus 101′ is on the left side of the vend queueand second container release apparatus 102′ is on the right side of thevend queue. Each apparatus 101′, 102′ respectively includes a gate 105′,106′, a front container stop or engaging member 115′, 116′, and a backcontainer stop or engaging member 125′, 126′. Gate 105′, 106′ ispivotally connected to tray 42′ particularly to the sidewalls, at hinge111′, 112′. Gate 106′ includes a foremost portion 110′, which will bedescribed below. A link 135′, positioned below floor 42 a′ of tray 42′,extends between and operably connects the two release apparatus 101′,102′. Specifically, link 135′ connects gate 105′ to gate 106′ andprovides symmetrical but rotationally opposite movement between gate105′ and gate 106′.

Each gate 105′, 106′ includes a slot formed therein; this slot allows aportion of front engaging member 115′, 116′ to extend through gate 105′,106′ and pivotally connect to sidewall 42 b′ by a hinge 117′, 118′. Backengaging member 125′, 126′ is also pivotally connected to sidewall 42b′, by a hinge pin 127′, 128′.

In its “home” position, shown in FIG. 19, gate 105′, 106′ is positionedwith the front-most portion, that is, the portion forward of hinge 111′,112′ where front engaging member 115′, 116′ is present, positionedcloser to the center of tray 42′ than hinge 111′, 112′. The back-mostportion of gate 105′, 106′, that is, the portion back of hinge 111′,112′ where back engaging member 125′, 126′ is present, is positionedfarther from the center of tray 42′ than hinge 111′, 112′. As containerrelease assembly 100′ is activated, gate 105′, 106′ pivots about hinge111′, 112′, causing the front-most portion of gate 105′, 106′ to moveoutward toward sidewall 42 b′ and the back-most portion of gate 105′,106′ to move inward toward the center of tray 42′.

In this embodiment, gate 105′, 106′ is bent in the proximity of hinge111′, 112′, that is gate 105′, 106′ is angled. The front-most portionsof gate 105′, 106′ form a pair of forward cam surfaces, and gate 106′further includes foremost portion 110′. Gate 105′, 106′ retainably holdsfront engaging member 115′, 116′, which is extends generally verticallyand generally perpendicular to floor 42 a′ and generally parallel toside walls 42 b′ of tray 42′. The height of engaging member 115′, 116′can vary to accommodate different heights of beverage containers. Backengaging member 125′, 126′ includes slot 125 a′, 126 a′ therein whichpivotally and moveably retains pin 127′, 128′, which is fixed to gate105′, 106′. In this embodiment, back engaging member 125′, 126′ does notextend above the level of gate 105′, 106′.

Same as for the first embodiment, the connection of back engaging member125′, 126′ with gate 105′, 106′ is such that a fast-acting cam isprovided; the “fast-acting” being faster than that at front engagingmember 115′, 116′. Such fast action allows back engaging member 125′,126′ to restrain the second-in-line container prior to the release ofthe first-in-line container by front engaging member 115′, 116′. Slot125 a′, 126 a′ in engaging member 125′, 126′ is strategically positionedand shaped relative to hinge pin 127′, 128′ such that when gate 105′,106′ is pivoted about hinge 111′, 112′, back engaging member 125′, 126′pivots toward the center of tray 42′ faster and farther than frontengaging member 115′, 116′ pivots out from the center of tray 42′.

The movement of container release assembly 100′ is illustrated in FIGS.19 through 21. In FIG. 19, container release assembly 100′ is in afirst, “home” position retaining a first beverage bottle 40 a and with asecond beverage bottle 40 b in the vend queue. In this home position,gates 105′, 106′ are angled in toward the center of tray 42′ and frontengaging members 115′, 116′ contact and retain bottle 40 a, which iscompletely positioned on tray bottom 42 a′. In FIG. 20, gate 105′, 106′has pivoted on hinge 111′, 112′ so that gate 105′, 106′ is essentiallyparallel with sidewall 42 b′. Engaging members 115′, 116′, stillretaining bottle 40 a, have allowed bottle 40 a to progress along traybottom 42 a′ so that only a portion of bottle 40 a is supported bybottom 42 a′. Each back engaging member 125′, 126′ has pivoted about pin127′, 128′ and now engages second bottle 40 b. In FIG. 21, containerrelease assembly 100′ has released the first beverage bottle 40 a bygates 105′, 106′ pivoting farther about hinge 111′, 112′ and extendingoutward of sidewall 42 b′ so that engaging members 115′, 116′ do notcontact bottle 40 a. Second bottle 40 b is retained by back engagingmembers 125′, 126′.

In the preferred embodiments, the container release assemblies 100, 100′described are constructed of a die-cast aluminum and are secured t andpositioned at the vending ends of the product holding trays 42. Othermaterials, such as other metals, polymeric materials (such aspolycarbonate and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)), ceramic materials andcomposite materials can also be used. Manufacturing processes caninclude die-casting, machining, injection molding,reaction-injection-molding, laser machining, and the like. The materialselection will depend upon the space available for the container releaseassemblies 100, 100′ and upon the desired rigidity and movementtolerances required in order for the release assemblies 100, 100′ toperform properly and reliably. The material selected should allow forminimal torsional flex of the assemblies 100, 100′. In particular, thematerial selection should insure that the pivot axis of hinge pins 11,112 of gates 105, 106 remain operably parallel during operation; thatthe gates 105, 106 or other mechanisms that move the engagement members115, 116, 125, 126 have sufficient rigidity to maintain the requiredoperative movement tolerances of the engagement members. The assemblyshould be sufficiently rigid in both the front to back and side to sidedirections.

The rigidity of the assembly, due to the material used and the design ofthe assembly, is preferably to such a level that the gates 105, 106 andengagement members 115, 116, 125, 126 do not flex or otherwise fluctuatefrom the designed or engineered specifications more than 10%, preferably5%. The tolerances of the assembly should be within 10%, preferably 5%of the engineered specifications.

The primary functions of vending machines are well-known in the art andwill not be detailed herein, since they do not form a part of theinvention. It is well within the province of one skilled in the art toconfigure a vending machine in the proper format configuration and underproper control for which it is intended to serve. Accordingly, it is notbelieved necessary to further belabor such generalities in thisapplication.

It is seen from FIGS. 19 through 21 that bottle 40 a has a smallerdiameter than bottle 40 b. Container release assembly 100, 100′ can beused to vend, from the same vend queue, bottles or other containershaving different dimensions, particularly, different diameters. It willbe appreciated that assembly 100, 100′ of the present invention allowsfor greater flexibility in arranging products of varied sizes, shapes,volumes and types of containers within the same queue of the vendingmachine. It will also be appreciated that implementation of theprinciples of the invention can be achieved in an economical mannersince none of the product trays or shelves require any additionalspacers or other accessories for modifying the width of the tray. Theseand other features and advantages of the invention will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoingdescription.

It will be appreciated that while a preferred embodiment description andapplication of the invention have been disclosed, other modifications ofthe invention not specifically disclosed or referred to herein will beapparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoingdescription. This description is intended to provide concrete examplesof a preferred embodiment structure and application clearly disclosingthe present invention and its operative principles. Accordingly, theinvention is not limited to any particular embodiment or configurationor component parts thereof.

1. A container release assembly for use with a vending machine forvending items from a queue, the assembly comprising: (a) a first releaseapparatus having a first front engaging member and a first rear engagingmember, the first release apparatus positioned on a first side of theitem to be vended; (b) a second release apparatus having a second frontengaging member and a second rear engaging member, the second releaseapparatus positioned on a second side, opposite the first side, of theitem to be vended; (c) the first release apparatus and the secondrelease apparatus operably and pivotally connected together; (d) thefirst and second front engaging members for engaging a first item in thequeue, and the first and second rear engaging members for engaging asecond item in the queue. 2-17. (canceled)